Discussions By Condition: Pregnancy

Pregnant .. and a dermoid cyst in left ovary. Surgery or not?

I am 12 weeks pregnant and I have recently been diagnosed (through USG and CT-scan) with an Ovarian Teratoma or dermoid cyst in my left ovary. The size is around 8cm.

I had 3 episodes of SEVERE lower-left abdominal pain during the last one month. The pain disappears automatically. In the first two instants, after 15-30 minutes and in the last instant, after 3 hours.

My Gyn is giving me three options for the surgery to get it removed

1. Get it removed (midline incision) right now2. If and when another episode of pain occurs3. Get the baby delivered at 37 weeks through c-section and within the same procedure, dermoid is also removed.

I am worried about the risk posed by General Anaesthesia to the baby so nobody is completely sure about that.

Secondly, If I get the surgery done now, will my incision wound be able to take the labour pain and contractions at the time of delivery? If not, the docs may go for a cesarian section anyway.

5 Replies:

I am 12 weeks pregnant and I have recently been diagnosed (through USG and CT-scan) with an Ovarian Teratoma or dermoid cyst in my left ovary. The size is around 8cm. I had 3 episodes of SEVERE lower-left abdominal pain during the last one month. The pain disappears automatically. In the first two instants, after 15-30 minutes and in the last instant, after 3 hours. My Gyn is giving me three options for the surgery to get it removed 1. Get it removed (midline incision) right now2. If and when another episode of pain occurs3. Get the baby delivered at 37 weeks through c-section and within the same procedure, dermoid is also removed. I am worried about the risk posed by General Anaesthesia to the baby so nobody is completely sure about that. Secondly, If I get the surgery done now, will my incision wound be able to take the labour pain and contractions at the time of delivery? If not, the docs may go for a cesarian section anyway. What should I do?I had a dermoid removed last year, also from my left ovary. The pain for me was fairly constant and sometimes pretty extreme. My cyst was 11cm and had attached to my colon, but my surgeon was still able to remove it laproscopically. It was just a tiny incision at my belly button and two very small incisions, on my lower left and right abdomen. If your surgeon is insisting on doing a larger, more invasive surgery you really should find a doctor more competent with laproscopic surgery. It would put much less stress on your pregnancy and you should be able to deliver vaginally just fine. I wouldn't recommend putting off the surgery though if possible. When my cyst was discovered it was 6cm, and five months later when they finally got around to removing it it had nearly doubled in size and had gotten really painful. Just make sure to see a different surgeon. Yours seems very old fashioned and not very up to date with newer (been in use for more than a decade) methods for treatment.

I am 12 weeks pregnant and I have recently been diagnosed (through USG and CT-scan) with an Ovarian Teratoma or dermoid cyst in my left ovary. The size is around 8cm. I had 3 episodes of SEVERE lower-left abdominal pain during the last one month. The pain disappears automatically. In the first two instants, after 15-30 minutes and in the last instant, after 3 hours. My Gyn is giving me three options for the surgery to get it removed 1. Get it removed (midline incision) right now2. If and when another episode of pain occurs3. Get the baby delivered at 37 weeks through c-section and within the same procedure, dermoid is also removed. I am worried about the risk posed by General Anaesthesia to the baby so nobody is completely sure about that. Secondly, If I get the surgery done now, will my incision wound be able to take the labour pain and contractions at the time of delivery? If not, the docs may go for a cesarian section anyway. What should I do?2 years ago I was diagnosed with a large teratoma in my left ovary. I would have sever pain at times. I had the teratoma removed though an incision at my bikini line. Once the doctor was in, she realized that there was nothing left of my left ovary. The teratoma had completely taken over it. I also had my left fallopian tube removed too. The recovery was easy as long as I was able to stay in bed.. Would it be possible for the doctor to wait until closer to your delivery time and deliver via C-section and then remove the cyst at that time?

2 years ago I was diagnosed with a large teratoma in my left ovary. I would have sever pain at times. I had the teratoma removed though an incision at my bikini line. Once the doctor was in, she realized that there was nothing left of my left ovary. The teratoma had completely taken over it. I also had my left fallopian tube removed too. The recovery was easy as long as I was able to stay in bed.. Would it be possible for the doctor to wait until closer to your delivery time and deliver via C-section and then remove the cyst at that time?I am now recovering from the birth of my daughter 2 weeks ago. she was due on December 12th, however on the 14th I awoke with severe back pain that was constant and extremely painful. I had a similar episode one week earlier, however it was not as excrutiating. I finally went to the hospital and they gave me an ultrasound which revealed a large cyst on my right ovary. I was scheduled for an emergency C Section via general anesthetia the following day. A mid line incision was done (32 staples from just below my navel to below my bikini line). The physician advised that the cyst was gangrene, black and blue and torsioned (twisted). It measured 12" x 8" x 8" and weighed 1 lb. As it turned out it was also a dermoid cyst. My doctor advised that I would need to be monitored over the next two years to ensure that it doesn't grow back as he did not remove my ovary.The doctor actually advised that in retrospect he probably didn't need to do a midline incision afterall, but he wouldn't have known that until he went in....My daughter was born healthy and beautiful and I am recuperating just fine. I am very thankful that the doctor on call at the hospital when I arrived took the time to do an ultrasound as the cyst may not have been found prior to my daughter's birth otherwise.

Hi, I was diagnosed with a 10cm dermoid cyst at 16 weeks pregnant. They told me on a Monday morning and it came out the next morning. I had laproscopic surgery and I was home by 4pm that afternoon. The decision to remove it right away was because the baby was far enough along not to be in trouble, but not big enough to be in the way. It was a relief to have it removed, even though I didn't know it was there until the day before. I was told later, that pregnancy increases the risk of cancer in the cyst if there is any immature tissue ( there was) Also, it can twist, and cause issues for the baby, it can rupture, and often they grow faster because of the hormones, so it increases your risk of pre term labour if it starts to inch out the baby's space in the womb. I did end up delivering by c-section, but for a completely unrelated issue. I can tell you between the two surgeries, I would have the cyst removed 10x over before another c-section. Good luck, and I hope your baby is born as beautiful and as perfect as mine.

Ahhh I just got my results back today to find I have a 13cm one on my left ovary at 12 weeks pregnant. I am waiting to see a specialist so I started googling to read some things like this to find out more. Apparently they cant find my right ovary right now but hopefully its hiding behind the baby. Im just concerned as this is our first baby and we want to have more than one in the future. Will this have an inpact on my fertility?